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Business Insider
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
I spent a day at Universal's new Orlando theme park. These 6 things impressed me most — and 2 left me disappointed.
I visited Universal's newest theme park, Epic Universe, which opened on Thursday. The unique meet and greets and creative food and drink options really blew me away. However, I wish the park had more shade and didn't rely as much on mobile ordering for restaurants. Epic Universe, the newest major theme park in Central Florida in years, opened on Thursday. The Universal park consists of five themed worlds: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk, Dark Universe, and Celestial Park. After a full day in the park, I was blown away by how immersive it felt. I rode every attraction, tasted some of the many food and drink offerings, and met iconic characters. For those wondering if a visit is worth it, I've put together a list of things that impressed me most at Epic Universe — plus two of my biggest disappointments so far. I love how open and immersive the main corridor of Epic Universe is. After walking under the Chronos, the park's main entry structure, you're inside Celestial Park. This themed world is packed with star imagery, plus tons of greenery and flowers. I loved how wide the sidewalks are and how open this area feels. The floral landscaping and water features really do make it feel like a park or garden. All of this gave me a great first impression of Epic Universe as a whole. The park's meet and greets have some incredible characters. I love meeting characters from my favorite movies and franchises, and all around the park, there are opportunities to meet icons like Princess Peach and the Invisible Man. The one character you must see is Toothless, a dragon from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. The interactive animatronic is impressively cute and lifelike. I liked how interactive the new Harry Potter-themed world is. There are several Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter throughout the world in places like California and Japan. Even so, the newest Orlando addition focused on the Ministry of Magic is exceptional. There are so many small details and interactive areas inside the world that you could really spend all day enjoying it. Even the queue for the ride Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry was breathtaking. Between the giant wizard banners, intricate statues, and lighting design, I felt like I was inside the movies. I also appreciated that this land had many spots where guests can use special wands to interact with "magical" objects and buildings. Dark Universe ended up being a hit for me, mostly because it's packed with entertainment. I typically don't like spooky, scary, or intense things, so I was surprised I really enjoyed Dark Universe. It's themed after famous monsters and creatures, from Dracula to Wolf Man. It has two rides, and I found myself especially impressed by how much walk-around entertainment was packed into this land. As I walked through, I passed tons of storytellers and characters ready to interact with guests and take photos. I especially loved meeting Gregor, a funny monster hunter who hangs around at the land's Burning Blade Tavern. I appreciated how easy it was to get to the park from my room at Universal Helios Grand Hotel. I stayed at the newest Universal Orlando hotel, Universal Helios Grand Hotel, during my visit. It opened earlier this year and has its own entrance into Epic Universe. Staying here meant it was incredibly easy for me to walk to the park. I was able to get from my room to Epic Universe in under five minutes. For me, it's always a win when theme parks have hotels just steps away. The inventive and fun food and drink options impressed me. I've been to many theme parks over the years, but I still found myself impressed by the creative and delicious culinary options at Epic Universe. My favorite sweet treat ended up being the DK Crush Float from Super Nintendo World. It's pineapple-and-banana-swirl soft serve in a waffle bowl topped with caramel popcorn and chocolate pieces that's loaded into a cup filled with pineapple soda. However, I wish the park had more shaded areas. As I walked around Epic Universe, I noticed it didn't have many shaded spots. This felt especially unbearable when the day was at its hottest in the afternoon. Light-colored paths throughout the park seemed to reflect the Orlando sun. Although there are some air-conditioned restaurants and attractions in Epic Universe, I could see this sun exposure being especially tough for young guests or those who struggle with the heat to navigate. I also didn't enjoy the fact that nearly every restaurant relies on mobile ordering. Most quick-service restaurants at Epic Universe rely on mobile ordering instead of having guests wait in line. Although this seems like it could be time-saving and efficient, I struggled to use this system during my visit. My phone wasn't able to get a strong enough signal for my order to go through or for me to input my table number in many spots throughout the park.
CNET
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
An Insider's Guide to Epic Universe, as the New Universal Theme Park Opens Next Week
A brand new theme park is opening next week in Orlando, and CNET has been there already. We're here to provide you with an insider's guide to Universal Resort Orlando's Epic Universe, which has five lands: Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk, Dark Universe, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic and Celestial Park. Opening May 22, Epic Universe will be the fourth Universal Orlando theme park after Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and water park Volcano Bay. Universal says it's hoping to become "a weeklong vacation destination," much like its main competitor Walt Disney World, which has six theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, along with water parks Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Part of Universal's expansion also includes three new hotels: Universal Helios Grand Hotel, Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort, bringing its total to 11 hotels. (Disney World has more than 20 hotels, for comparison.) Check out CNET's guide below for what you need to know about Epic Universe, including ticket prices, new rides, restaurants and opening dates. And read here for more on Universal's planned UK theme park. Now Playing: Up Close With Dragons and Frankenstein: Epic Universe Tech That Blew Us Away 54:29 Super Nintendo World and Donkey Kong Country Princess Peach's castle in Super Mario World at Epic Universe. Scott Stein/CNET Universal Orlando is finally joining Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood in opening a Mario-themed land. Much like in the Japan and Hollywood parks, the marquee ride is Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge, where you hop inside a kart, collect coins and throw shells to try to win the cup. There's also Mine Cart Madness, a Donkey Kong-themed roller coaster, and Yoshi's Adventure, where you board a Yoshi and go egg-spotting through the Mushroom Kingdom. There'll be meet and greets with Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad, and the Toadstool Cafe for your dining needs. Buy a Power-Up Band and you'll be able to collect coins throughout the land and rides on the wearable wristband. It works throughout all three Super Nintendo World locations. How to Train Your Dragon's Isle of Berk Wooden dragons in How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk land. Scott Stein/CNET How to Train Your Dragon is finally getting some space in a Universal theme park, 15 years after the original movie (which still has 99% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes) was released in 2010. The much-loved DreamWorks movie, which featured Hiccup the teenage Viking and his quest to befriend rather than kill a dragon he names Toothless, spawned two sequels (both with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes), as well as 10 seasons of two separate animated series and a live-action version of the first movie, which releases in 2025. Now, you'll be able to visit Berk (Florida's version). It won't be as cold, but it will be filled with Viking characters walking around the land, dragon robots you can greet on the ground and dragons flying over the colorful wooden buildings. Hiccup's Wing Gliders is the main attraction, a roller coaster that simulates the experience of riding on a dragon. A second ride, Dragon Racer's Rally, will see each rider strapped into an individual dragon-shaped seat attached to a pendulum arm, flipping upside down as the arm swings up and around. There's also a water ride called Fyre Drill, where you'll board a Viking longboat and shoot water cannons at the dragon targets and other boats you sail past, while you in turn get soaked. For the younger visitors, Viking Training Camp is an adventure playground where they can climb, run, slide and play with interactive elements. Rounding out the land is a live show starring Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid and Gobber, and Mead Hall, a dining option serving Scandinavian offerings like fish, meat, ale and mead. Dark Universe: classic Universal monsters The entrance of the Curse of the Werewolf ride. Scott Stein/CNET This sinister-sounding land is dedicated to all the classic Universal monsters out there, with villains from Frankenstein's monster to Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Mummy and the Creature from the Black Lagoon roaming Darkmoor Village. Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is a ride inside a spooky Victorian manor, where you need to escape the experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein. A second ride, Curse of the Werewolf, is a coaster that soars through the forest as you escape a pack of werewolves. You can also experience the wonders of theatrical makeup and be transformed into a werewolf, vampire or mummy with the Monster Makeup Experience. There are two dining locations in Dark Universe: Das Stakehaus, a vampire-themed restaurant. The Burning Blade Tavern, a more casual eatery inside a windmill that catches fire several times each hour. Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic An animatronic house elf in line for the Battle at the Ministry ride. Scott Stein/CNET This is the third Harry Potter location at Universal Orlando, after the Diagon Alley area in Universal Studios Florida and the Hogwarts/Hogsmeade area in Islands of Adventure. It'll span both the Fantastic Beasts movies and the original Harry Potter series, meaning most of the land is themed after Paris in the 1920s, from where you can travel by the Métro-Floo network to the British Ministry of Magic in the 1990s. The main attraction is the Battle at the Ministry ride, where you'll help the trio fight Dolores Umbridge. It's similar to the mechanics of the Hogwarts ride, except you'll be in an elevator compartment at the Ministry of Magic, and it also features much-updated technology so it's even more immersive. There's also Le Cirque Arcanus, a live show with performers, puppets and special effects, and is set in the Fantastic Beasts universe. There'll be plenty to explore in this new area, including a new wand store called Cosme Acajor Baguettes Magique, more interactive wand locations and a French restaurant called Café L'air De La Sirène. It's not connected to the Hogwarts Express train ride that connects the other two Harry Potter lands in Orlando, however, due to the park's distance from Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Celestial Park, and that double roller coaster The dueling coasters in Celestial Park. Scott Stein/CNET Celestial Park is themed as a cosmic getaway, where you can ride a rocket at speeds of up to 62mph on the dual-launch roller coaster Stardust Racers -- or if something slower-paced is more your thing, you can ride the Constellation Carousel. There are also two restaurants -- Atlantic and The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant -- as well as a shopping location called the Nintendo Super Star Store. Celestial Park is the hub of the new theme park: you'll enter Epic Universe into Celestial Park, and from there can take one of the four portals into the other lands. How much do Epic Universe tickets cost? The portal into Super Nintendo World, which has an escalator taking you up into the sub-park. Scott Stein/CNET Ticket pricing depends on how many days you want to spend at Universal Studios Florida, as well as which parks you want to go to, and whether you want to visit more than one park each day. Here are the options and starting prices. Keep in mind that pricing will change depending on what day of the week and time of year you visit, too. For now, you can only purchase multiday park tickets to visit Epic Universe, unless you're a Universal passholder. In future, Universal will allow you to buy a single-day ticket only to visit the new park, but that option is not yet available. 3-day park tickets 3 day, 4-park hopper: $452/adult, $442/child (Note: you can only spend one day inside Epic Universe, while on the other two days you can hop between Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay). 3-day, 3-park hopper: $412/adult, $402/child (Note: you can only spend one day inside Epic Universe, while on the other two days you can hop between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure). 3-day, 3 parks, one park per day: $352/adult, $342/child (Note: you can only spend one day inside Epic Universe, one day at Universal Studios and one day at Islands of Adventure). 4-day park tickets 4-day, 4-park hopper: $486/adult, $476/child (Note: you can only spend one day inside Epic Universe, while on the other three days you can hop between Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay). 4-day, 3-park hopper: $436/adult, $426/child (Note: you can only spend one day inside Epic Universe, while on the other two days you can hop between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure). 4-day, 4 parks, one park per day: $421/adult, $411/child (Note: you can only spend one day inside Epic Universe, one day at Universal Studios, one day at Islands of Adventure and one day at Volcano Bay). 4-day, 3 parks, one park per day: $371/adult, $361/child (Note: you can only spend one day inside Epic Universe, one day at Universal Studios and one day at Islands of Adventure). 5-day park tickets 5-day, 4-park hopper: $522/adult, $512/child (Note: you can only spend one day inside Epic Universe, while on the other four days you can hop between Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay). 5-day, 3-park hopper: $462/adult, $452/child (Note: you can only spend one day inside Epic Universe, while on the other four days you can hop between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure). 5-day, 4 parks, one park per day: $452/adult, $442/child (Note: you can only spend one day inside Epic Universe, and then choose between Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay for your other one-day tickets). 5-day, 3 parks, one park per day: $392/adult, $382/child (Note: you can only spend one day inside Epic Universe, and then choose between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for your other one-day tickets). Express Pass and VIP tours at Epic Universe You can now also purchase a 1-day Express Pass for Epic Universe that'll allow you to skip the lines at each attraction once. The cost is between $130 and $310 per person (on top of your regular ticket), depending on what date you go. And if you want a truly luxe experience, you can fork over between $390 and $650 per person (also on top of your ticket) for a 4-hour VIP guided walking tour of the new park. With a VIP package, you'll also get priority entrance to the rides, a discount on merchandise, complimentary valet parking and more.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Universal Epic Universe Super Nintendo World: Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country Review
When we crossed through the portal into Universal Epic Universe's Super Nintendo World and then jumped into Super Mario's iconic green Warp Pipe, went up an escalator, and emerged into Super Mario Land, my mind was genuinely blown. Super Mario Land didn't just feel like another section of a theme park; it genuinely felt like a new park all its own. There was so much to look at and try to take in, it was nearly impossible to know where to turn your head. From inside Super Mario Land, you can't see any other parts of Epic Universe. It's just you and a metric ton of irresistible Super Mario Easter eggs, complete with bright, appealing colors, familiar sound effects, and life-sized moving versions of your favorite game mechanics. We haven't even mentioned the wonder of Super Nintendo World's Donkey Kong Land. Super Nintendo World was totally overwhelming, in the best way. Let's take a look at everything it has in store for Nintendo fans of every kind. Mt. Beanpole? Check. Princess Peach's Castle? Check. Piranha Plants, Goombas, Spinning Coins, Question Mark Blocks, Pow Blocks (oh my!)? Check. We could not stress any harder that walking into Super Mario Land is literally like walking into a living, breathing version of your favorite video games. Everything is so detailed, and so vibrant, and so interactive, you're immersed beyond belief. As you stroll through the land, you start to see that Piranha plants are really moving all around you, opening their red and white maws in preparation for their dinner. And the Question Mark Blocks, well, if you have a Power-Up band from Universal Epic Universe, then you can actually earn coins in real time by punching the blocks as they float by you throughout the park. There's even a huge Bowser's Castle looming over everything and hidden eggs for you to spy around every corner. What more could you want? Well, we imagine you'll want to know about the rides that await you in the Super Mario Land section of Epic Universe's Super Nintendo World. In this section of the park, there are two rides to look out for: Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge and Yoshi's Adventure. In Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge, an immense amount of technology comes together to put you right into the middle of a Mario Kart game. Yes, you'll actually get to sit in a Mario Kart during this ride. Throughout the gamified adventure, which fuses augmented reality, projection mapping technology, and elaborate environments, you'll be collecting coins, tossing shells at Team Bowser, dodging obstacles, and trying to steer your cart. If it sounds like it's a lot… well, it is! But like the rest of Super Mario Land, in a good way. You'll actually get to wear a Mario hat and a visor that displays AR visuals right in front of your face. On top of that, you'll be experiencing input from all around you. So get ready to hit the Rainbow Road hard. Meanwhile, Yoshi's Adventure is a much chiller experience, think The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! in Universal's Islands of Adventure. This train-like ride will take you on an adorable adventure searching for glowing eggs with Yoshi. It's good for all ages and offers stunning views of Epic Universe's Super Nintendo World. But wait, there's more! Cross through yet another portal and you'll find yourself in a whole new part of Epic Universe's Super Nintendo World, Donkey Kong Country. Oh yeah, Donkey Kong is King here and he's not shy about it. Bananas, let me say, are everywhere. Iconic Super Nintendo landmarks such as The Golden Temple dot this landscape, and the whole affair has a much different tone to Super Mario Land. Everything feels tropical, golden, and lush. Though we love tropical food offerings and merchandise, it's Donkey Kong Country's Mine-Cart Madness that really captured our hearts. It might be one of the most unique rides in Epic Universe. As promised, Mine-Cart Madness abandons the traditional track to jump gaps, go careening sideways, and really play mind games on you in the best way. Of course, you're not really leaving the track behind; the track just isn't actually how this Donkey Kong roller coaster operates. But it still feels really thrilling to 'jump the track,' as they say, and suddenly go lurching off what looks like safety. If you can keep your wits about you, you might spy special Easter eggs hidden in the ride as well. We feel this is exactly the kind of thing Donkey Kong would cook up. Of course, Super Nintendo World opens up a vast number of possibilities for other lands in Universal Epic Universe. And we saw some teases for other properties that might come join Mario and Donkey Kong in the theme park. For instance, a gorgeous stained glass display highlighted The Legend of Zelda's Zelda and Link. And we couldn't help noticing that the Triforce was prominently displayed on the ground of the Nintendo Super Star Store. All of that gets us very excited for Super Nintendo World, everything it delivers to us now and everything we could see in the future. Fans can visit Super Nintendo World, Super Mario Land, and Donkey Kong Country when Universal Epic Universe opens on May 22. REad next Universal Epic Universe's Isle of Berk Is a Dragon Animatronic Wonderland
Bloomberg
06-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Tariffs Aren't a Game Nintendo Wants to Play
Save This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, a sincere recognition of the complexity of Bloomberg Opinion's opinions. On Sundays, we look at the major themes of the week past and how they will define the week ahead. Sign up for the daily newsletter here. Before we get to tariffs — and you know we are going to get to tariffs — here is a question: Would you rather be portly plumber, a prehistoric pack animal, an irascible ape, a fire-breathing turtle or … a beautiful, bubbly princess in a pink chiffon dress who rules over a magic mushroom kingdom? I can't believe that is even a question. Because copyright is horrible, I can't show you the real thing, but even as an amusement park icon, look at how lovely Princess Peach is:
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What the Nintendo Switch 2 Really Is
If your virtual kart-racing life was missing something, you're in luck. Nintendo, the Japanese electronics manufacturer, announced its new Mario Kart appliance today. The Switch 2, which can be used handheld or connected to a television, allows players to race go-karts piloted by characters from the company's entertainment franchises: Mario, Yoshi, Princess Peach. The karting games that ran on previous appliances allowed racers to compete on only a series of discrete tracks. But the updated hardware allows for something else: Mario Kart World, as the new software is called, presents its users with the tantalizing prospect of a digital commute. Racers may now convey from one track to the next through a large and continuous simulated world. This new capacity will unlock other new ways to kart, among them 1980s-style arcade racing and more contemporary, open-world kart tourism. Longtime kart racers will surely celebrate the opportunity to kart anew. Someone who might have played Mario Kart 8—the previous fully original home release in the franchise—in 2014, when they were 12, has now graduated college. In the gaps between soul-crushing weeks at an investment bank or a management consultancy, karting sons and daughters who became karting adults might sneak in a nostalgic trip or race with their aging parents or once-baby siblings, now adolescents. To facilitate the process, Nintendo has finally improved its online kart-racing infrastructure. Its competitors Sony and Microsoft, whose entertainment appliances mostly facilitate simulated sports or ritualistic arena murder, have allowed players to connect by voice or even video while playing, both to coordinate matches and to issue racist or homophobic taunts. The Switch 2 finally adds this capacity to kart racing, deployed via a 'C' ('Cart'? No, 'Chat') button on its controllers. [Read: Video games are better without stories] All of this kart racing comes at a hefty price: $450 for the appliance itself, or $500 for the device bundled with the Mario Kart software. Those who would choose to forgo the bundle in favor of purchasing inscrutably updated rehashes of previous works, such as embarrassing fantasy-adventure games and insipid party titles, will have to hand over $80 for Mario Kart World if they choose to add it later. That might put kart-based home entertainment out of reach for many Americans. But others will surely see the value in the Switch 2, given the appeal and frequency of these karting delights. Games such as Mario Kart World will be delivered on cartridges matching the size and shape of those from the previous appliance. Those carts may not contain software, instead acting as dummy keys that will unlock a probably time-consuming download. In exchange for this inconvenience, players will be able to 'gameshare' some software titles with up to four friends, allowing the games to trickle down, Reaganomics-style, from the wealthy to the aspirant underclasses (though even these paupers will apparently still have to pay for a separate Nintendo Switch Online subscription to voice- or videochat with their game-giving overlords). But not Mario Kart World, which is ineligible for gameshare. All citizens must purchase their own access to karting. [Read: The quiet revolution of Animal Crossing] Nintendo has also updated the guts of the Switch 2 kart appliance. It will finally be capable of using the entire 4K resolution of the televisions that were being sold back when your college graduate was still 12. Note that the appliance itself features an LCD screen rather than the rich OLED displays that have been commonplace in smartphones for the past decade or so. Nintendo has also failed to heed the lessons from its previous Mario Kart appliance. That device, the Switch, featured finicky, removable Joy-Con kart-racing controllers. Inevitably, kart-racing fanciers elected to pay exorbitant prices for traditional, add-on controllers instead. A new version of those controllers is also on offer for the Switch 2, requiring a new investment of $80 each for a racing tether that features the new 'C' button. Will this new kart chaos be worthwhile? Emphatically yes. I spent $1,600 on a new washer-dryer this year, and I use it only once a week, whereas I kart (or long to kart) far more often. Similarly, a good countertop air fryer might cost hundreds of dollars; why not a karting appliance too? And like an air fryer, which can toast and roast in addition to convection bake, the Switch 2 Mario Kart appliance is also capable of supporting other Nintendo-crafted experiences, such as an ape-oriented romp game announced today and, perhaps eventually, attempts to rehabilitate the non-karting titles from which the Mario character and his kindred had been mercifully liberated. Article originally published at The Atlantic
